The Importance of Efficient Patient Transportation for SNFs

Safe, timely, and efficient transportation is critical for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to provide quality care while controlling costs. Investing in a robust non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) solution pays dividends through improved care coordination, reduced hospital readmissions, and cost savings.

Why Partnerships between NEMTs and SNFs are important 

By creating a partnership with a NEMT and optimizing patient logistics, SNFs are able to offer reliable, efficient care, which benefits the provider and the patient, and streamline the entire process, which in turn reduces costs. 

Below we dig a little deeper into some top-level benefits of this symbiotic relationship.

1. Continued care

By partnering with a reliable NEMT provider, SNFs ensure patients arrive at medical appointments on time and without stressful delays. This improves medical outcomes, as patients are less likely to miss appointments and are able to fully adhere to treatment plans. Coordinated transportation also provides visibility into patients' needs for accompaniment and other assistance during outside visits.

2. Efficient discharging 

Additionally, optimized patient logistics helps SNFs reduce avoidable emergency department transfers and hospital readmissions. With reliable NEMT, facilities can confidently discharge patients to lower levels of care or home health without worrying about missed follow-up appointments. This ability to safely discharge patients can significantly lower SNF costs.

3. Automation and improved efficiencies 

On the financial side, integrating with an NEMT provider delivers savings through improved efficiencies and reduced waste. Automated ride assignment, real-time tracking, and two-way communication eliminates wasted staff time previously spent scheduling transport, making follow-up calls, and manually tracking patients. Management also gains data-driven insights into transportation metrics, allowing for better optimization over time.

As SNFs strive to deliver coordinated, outcome-driven care, a reliable patient transportation solution is essential. Choosing the right NEMT partner establishes a critical link in the care continuum for SNFs seeking reduced readmissions, transparent communications, and lower costs through optimized logistics.

Read the top questions SNFs should ask when evaluating NEMT solutions here.